Another infection? Frustration!

[estricklin]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm making a list of the different suggestions.

I have been using the White Labs vials to make a yeast starter in flask so no dirty scissors are involved. ha I soak the flask in starsan before putting anything in it.

The measuring cup I use is plastic. I don't pour back in. I do not spray the outside of the bucket though.

One thing I did think about that I use a stainless steel spoon for stirring during boil and I use the same spoon to stir to aerate. I don't sanitze that spoon because I figured it's in the boil but when I think about it the entire spoon is not in the boil and more of the spoon gets submerged when I'm stirring it in the bucket. I'll try sanitizing the entire thing next time before I aerate.

For cool down I put the kettle in an ice bath in the tub. I use individual gallons of distilled water. I save the last two gallons and put them in the freezer. I let the wort cool in the ice bath for a little and then use the almost frozen distilled water to bring the temperature down.

I'm not really looking forward to getting new buckets. :/ I have two fermenters and a bottling bucket. I know they are not a lot of money but I have trouble justifying to my wife getting anymore stuff. haha


I assumed this was an infection because it looks exactly like the last batch which did have a sour flavor. This one however does not have any sour flavor yet. Actually since it's a cider it wouldn't be bad if it did.

If I can't figure this out I'm just going to dive into wild brewing completely since I seem to be doing a good job of it! ha

Here is a link to my homemade bottling/fermenting buckets, and my system. I have since figured out that I can ferment 4.75 gallons in one of those, and I never get any sediment because I have placed the spigot a 1/4 inch or so higher than a bottling one is normally, that allows me to tilt the bucket if I need to and still not get any trub.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/bottling-closed-system-homemade-fermenter-spigot-428255/

When your wort is cooling, is there a lid on the pot? Lots of bugs in the air.

 

[flars]

Another thought. Does your bucket have a rubber or vinyl sealing ring in the lid which is removeable? Have you pulled the seal out to clean underneath?

 

[Glaurung30]

Another thought. Does your bucket have a rubber or vinyl sealing ring in the lid which is removeable? Have you pulled the seal out to clean underneath?

Yes it does have a rubber sealing ring and i have not cleaned that. Thanks for the tip. I'm adding it to my list of stuff to do.

 

[Danger_D]

Let me know what you find out. I am going through the same thing right now. I bleach bombed everything and also soaked it in oxy clean. Waiting to see if this batch spoiled.

Here is my thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/gnarly-smell-again-440575/

 

[Glaurung30]

I don't use any kind of dish soap to clean any of my brewing equipment. Nor do I use any kind of sponge or rag that has anything that can scratch the inside of the fermenter. PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) is all I use. I Soak eveything in a bucket of hot water and PBW. Then rinse and let dry until brew day. Then everything gets rerinsed and sanitized with Star-san. I have a 6 gallon bucket with lid that has 5 gallons of Star-san/distilled water mix. I also have 2 spray bottles of Star-san. Instead of spraying the inside of the fermenter, I dump about a quart of Star-san in the fermenting bucket and then spray the lid. Put the lid on the bucket and shake the crap out of it for about 30 seconds. I do this right before the boil, and during the boil I'll shake it up a few more times (lots of foam! ). When ready to transfer wort in the fermenter, I dump the leftover Star-san (and a lot of the foam) back into my Star-san bucket. Then transfer wort right on top of the remaining Star-san foam. Then respray the lid, and the airlock bung with Star-san, and add the Star-san'd airlock with Star-san in that as well. Don't let Star-san dry... it's a wet contact sanitizer.

I have yet to have an infected beer in 3 years of brewing.

Make sure your fermenting bucket is free from scratches in the inside. Also, Since you're using a bucket for a fermenter, there is no need to dip a cup in the brew to take a gravity reading. Just drop your Star-san'd hydrometer right in the brew in the bucket.

Star-san is your friend.

Gary

Thanks for the tips. I bought some PWB and am going to soak everything in it tonight. Saturday morning I'll be brewing up my next batch. I'll fill my other bucket up with starsan and water and keep that on hand during the whole process for soaking anything I need to.